Teachers’ one-day strike could be only the beginning

Teachers’ one-day strike could be only the beginning

Special to This Week

Elementary teachers from across the City of Kawartha Lakes took part in a one-day picket on Thursday (Dec. 13) in protest of Bill 115, the Putting Students First Act. The Bill requires public union locals and school boards to complete collective agreements by Dec. 31 - granted, they must be cleared by Education Minister Laurel Broten before being ratified - or ones could be imposed as per the Bill.

(KAWARTHA LAKES) Thursday’s strike action by local elementary teachers may have only lasted three hours, but union president Steve Colliver is confident the message got through.
“We made a conscious effort to have everyone on the lines at the same time,” said Mr. Colliver of having Trillium Lakelands District School Board teachers hit the picket lines en masse instead of in two, three-hour shifts.
“We were building solidarity and I think we were successful.”
Mr. Colliver said teachers picketed every school in the City of Kawartha Lakes; all of which were closed for the day (Dec. 13).
“I think the parents who hadn’t noticed before, noticed now,” said Mr. Colliver who has been encouraging those who contact the Trillium Lakelands Elementary Teachers Federation office in Lindsay to read Bill 115, the Putting Students First Act. “Because it’s all about awareness.”
Both local elementary and secondary school teachers have been without a contract since Aug. 31. Negotiations between union and school board bargaining teams continued through September and October, with both unions being in strike positions by the end of November. By early December, secondary school teachers had pulled their involvement in extra-curricular activities and before- or after-school assistance to students. Elementary teachers also ramped up their sanctions.
Neither union is slated to meet with the local board for contract discussions despite the provincially imposed deadline of Dec. 31, after which Education Minister Laurel Broten can dictate agreement details, as laid out in Bill 115.
Mr. Colliver has continued to state the fact the minister can arbitrarily decide collective agreements flies in the face of democratic and civil rights.
“When it came to contracts, the process worked - in good and bad times,” said Mr. Colliver adding the unions are very aware of fiscal constraints and have not argued imposing a two-year wage freeze. “But with Bill 115...there’s more to it than that.”
Despite the stalled negotiations, Mr. Colliver does not hold the school board in bad light.
“They’re in the same box. They’re basically being shackled as well.”
With the one-day picket behind them, Mr. Colliver said it’s difficult to say what will happen next, especially in light of the upcoming Liberal leadership convention.
“Whoever picks this up from Dalton [McGuinty] is unlikely to leave the Education Minister where she is,” said Mr. Colliver.
However, he added the union is prepared to do “whatever it takes” to either get the Province “to come to the table” or repeal Bill 115.
“We’re doing what we can to make sure it’s an issue for them."